cannabisnews.com: 4/20: National Pot Smokers Day
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4/20: National Pot Smokers Day
Posted by CN Staff on April 19, 2009 at 13:51:49 PT
By Anthony Papa
Source: Huffington Post
USA -- April 20 is "National Pot Smoking Day." It's a day where people across the world celebrate in the conspicuous consumption of the magical herb, marijuana. It's an unofficial counterculture holiday that is based on the simple concept of smoking some cannabis and being happy.The history of its origin is somewhat cloudy. I found some interesting theories into the beginning of this toker's holiday. The most convincing account was recorded in the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the editor of High Times, Steven Hager, the term "420" originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971, among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking students who called themselves the Waldos. The term was shorthand for the time of day the group would meet, at the campus statue of Louis Pasteur, to smoke pot. Intent on developing their own discreet language, they made 420 a code for a time to get high, and its use spread among members of an entire generation through various vehicles like the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Other versions say 420 originated from a police dispatch code that identified pot smokers or that 420 was the number of chemical compounds that are found in pot.Whatever its true origin may be, 420 Day is now firmly implanted in the marijuana subculture. The true significance of this day, beyond the fact that it brings together people to celebrate the use of marijuana, is that it's a day to explore the meaning of the freedom - or the lack thereof - to indulge in its use. Despite being a popular drug that is enjoyed by millions of Americans, it is still classified as an illegal substance. Penalties range from the stigma of arrest to fines and even imprisonment.Currently, there is a tremendous amount of activity in marijuana arena. Many states like New Jersey and Illinois are calling for the legalization of medical marijuana. This was in lieu of a recent policy shift by the Obama administration. It openly called for the limitation of prosecuting sick people who use the drug for medical purposes or to the caregivers that dispense it in states that have passed medical marijuana legislation.Recently in California, San Francisco lawmaker, Tom Ammiano, introduced a bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. "With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense," Ammiano told reporters. "This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes. California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana."Advocates point out that thirteen states already regulate medical marijuana. "Marijuana already plays a huge role in the California economy. It's a revenue opportunity we literally can't afford to ignore any longer," said Stephen Gutwillig, California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance. "It's time to end the charade of marijuana prohibition, tax the $14 billion market, and redirect criminal justice resources to matters of real public safety. Assemblyman Ammiano has done the state an enormous service by breaking the silence on this commonsense solution."On May 2 there will be a worldwide marijuana march that will be held in over 544 cities in 54 nations around the world to celebrate the medicinal value and spiritual benefits of marijuana.The principal organizer of the event is veteran activist, Dana Beal. He believes that this is a critical year for the cause. Beal is especially concerned about the large amount of pot arrests involving nonviolent citizens who choose to smoke it in the privacy of their own homes. "Criminalizing millions of people - nearly 10 percent of the total US population for smoking a plant is ridiculous" he says. Numerous scientific studies since President Nixon's Shafer Commission have proved this. Beal also believes that the money spent by the criminal justice system to prosecute and jail harmless pot smokers would be better spent on our educational system and health care.The debate on the legalization of marijuana continues. It's up to the millions of pot smokers across our nation who use 4/20 as a day to light up to get involved in changing the prohibition that ruins so many lives and takes away the legal right to consume what we want in our own bodies, without the threat of governmental interference.Anthony Papa is the author of 15 To Life and a communications specialist for the Drug Policy Alliance.Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Anthony Papa Published: April 19, 2009Copyright: 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/36Iv13XqCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 19:22:00 PT
Sam
I just read the article. I believe her mother did the right thing. I hope other parents stand up for their children if they find out they are or have been violated.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #27 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 19:19:44 PT
Sorry, Mykeyb420
I don't believe I can bear to watch and hear that bad cop video.It's bound to be hideous.
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Comment #26 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 19:04:27 PT
Comment 19
Such a many faceted outrage this War on Drugs has brought us.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #25 posted by mykeyb420 on April 19, 2009 at 19:03:13 PT
bad cop
no donuts for you.
bad cop
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #24 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 19:02:40 PT
Charmed Quark
Family Guy sounds funny.It would have been great to to have seen that. I didn't get to see it, but probably a lot of people did.
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Comment #23 posted by charmed quark on April 19, 2009 at 18:19:22 PT
Family Guy 420
Hilarious musical number on "Family Guy"- "Everything's Better With a Bag O' Weed". Dancing bongs, flying baggies, cheerleaders in marijuana leaf formation ...The dog Brian gets arrested for a small amount of marijuana he hid under his collar.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #22 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 18:18:32 PT
Peter McWilliams
http://bit.ly/17WX2a
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #21 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 18:15:52 PT
I hope it's safe tomorrow.
Everyone be careful.Everyone.Lots of bad stuff has shared this date.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #20 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 18:14:39 PT
I guess
it's Four Twenty Eve.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #19 posted by Sam Adams on April 19, 2009 at 18:13:44 PT
strip search of the school kids
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stripsearch19-2009apr19,0,2354915.storyDid someone post this already?2 things I noted - school children today already have less civil rights than juvenile prisoners in jail; the principle and school superintedent both tried to get away with lying about this incident.My question: why do we give these bureaucrats moral power over our kids? They are self-serving liars. Isn't it obvious? I wouldn't trust one of these liars to wash my car. They're already given the power to use police dogs on our kids.People must learn that we cannot trust the government to raise our kids.Of course this issue is tied in directly with overseas wars. Without overseas wars to be "debated" in the public consciousness, much more attention would be paid to issues like this.And at the same time the militarization of schools and youth is critical to getting the population to accept constant wars as normal.Look at the collective attitude today - oh well, the government just swindled us out of another 750 trillion dollars. Big sigh. Nothing we can do. We've all been conditioned from elementary school to accept an iron fist - even in our underwear if necessary.
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 18:12:01 PT
comment 15
That tired. I've been there. I think I had on a hat and a shirt a lot like the ones Neil is wearing, at the time, too. It was a dreadful hot day. I was very aware of the concept that a person could literally work themselves to death, before they knew it.
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 17:59:04 PT
Comment 15
That sounds like a sweet memory.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #16 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 17:57:59 PT
Mykeyb420
I can't get the video to load right. You Tube is about all that will ever work here. But I did see and hear some of it.It looked amazing. What a righteous neighborhood, community minded thing to do. Some of those old buildings look kind of tall and very old... like maybe right after that earthquake. I could almost sense the need of you guys learning that stuff just looking at them and remembering films and photographs and movies about that other earthquake and the fires.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 17:22:39 PT
Hope
He looked tired. They all looked tired. When we saw Neil Young and Crazy Horse at the place below he ended the concert with Roll Another Number. It was a nice indoor arena. It wasn't snowing when we went in but when it was over quite a bit of snow met us on the way out. I still had Roll Another Number going thru my head and then the big lights lit up the snow that was falling and I think I must have floated home. LOL! Hearing that song performed live was something I will never forget. People all sang along and lit their lighters and held them high.March 11, 2004 : Cleveland, OH - CSU Convocation Center
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 17:01:17 PT
Just got to listen to Neil in concert in Japan 01
And see him. He was awful skinny.He was so skinny sometimes he just looked like some sort of spookiness left up there. He was dancing with his music and barely looked like a vapor... a bare whisp of smoke. That's pretty low down and blue.
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 16:51:05 PT
Hope
I find that life has terribly unfair things happen to some people. The thing that gets me is our horrible medical system. Going to a hospital was never pleasant but nowadays rather then concern for sick people if you don't have insurance they almost let a person die. Slowly too. That is immoral to me. Do no harm really means something to me.
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 16:08:39 PT
Donald P. Scott
http://bit.ly/11jc3J
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 16:05:02 PT
mykeyb420
Very nice video. It made me smile. You go guy!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by mykeyb420 on April 19, 2009 at 15:54:38 PT
off topic NERT
Here is a local news story on the NERT drill I did yesterday,,, I got to meet the first female fire CHIEF in the history of SF.
KTVU NERT story
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 15:54:16 PT
Tomorrow
Part of tomorrow should be in remembrance of those who have been arrested, and jailed, and those that lost their lives to the violence and greed of the war, and those who so dearly wanted to see the end of this war, but passed on before they got to see and live the end of this so called "war" on cannabis users and the cannabis plant and basic human liberty.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 15:44:57 PT
Hold You Head High
Argent Hold Your Head Up - 1973http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiA8AVpf6M4
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 15:38:26 PT
Hope
I believe that being happy is an important part of our everyday life. Nuns were mentioned and the Nuns that I remember so very well were happy and positive. Angry people stir trouble and hurt others. I don't understand why people hate so much. We can be walking thru a storm but we don't have to be down about it. Everyone has storms so we should hold our heads high and smile. It can always be worse.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on April 19, 2009 at 15:21:17 PT
5 Things Happy People Do
5 Things Happy People Do
By Gabrielle LeBlancExcerpt:5. They allow themselves to be happy.
As much as we all think we want it, many of us are convinced, deep down, that it's wrong to be happy (or too happy). Whether the belief comes from religion, culture, or the family you were raised in, it usually leaves you feeling guilty if you're having fun."Some people would say you shouldn't strive for personal happiness until you've taken care of everyone in the world who is starving or doesn't have adequate medical care," says Howard Cutler, MD, coauthor with the Dalai Lama of The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World. "The Dalai Lama believes you should pursue both simultaneously. For one thing, there is clear research showing that happy people tend to be more open to helping others. They also make better spouses and parents." And in one famous study, nuns whose autobiographies expressed positive emotions (such as gratitude and optimism) lived seven to 10-and-a-half years longer than other nuns. So, for any die-hard pessimist who still needs persuading, just think of how much more you can help the world if you allow a little happiness into your life.http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/omag_200803_happy/3
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 14:42:23 PT
Friendly Reminder: Tomorrow on G4
If you get this channel you might want to check out tomorrow evenings programming. On DirecTV it's Channel 310.http://g4tv.com/420/splash.aspx
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 14:23:19 PT
Canis420
You're welcome.
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Comment #3 posted by Canis420 on April 19, 2009 at 14:21:10 PT:
Thanks
Thanks for the info
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 19, 2009 at 14:18:32 PT
Canis420
I've had this page for about 10 years and the link Global Marijuana March 2009 might help you with the information you want.http://freedomtoexhale.com/million.htm
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Comment #1 posted by Canis420 on April 19, 2009 at 14:15:05 PT:
May 2nd march
"On May 2 there will be a worldwide marijuana march that will be held in over 544 cities in 54 nations around the world to celebrate the medicinal value and spiritual benefits of marijuana."Does anybody know where I can get a list of the cities this march will be held in?
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